A meal in a crowded restaurant to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your significant other can’t compare to cocooning at home by the fireplace with a glass of Thackrey & Company wine (www.http://store.wine-maker.net/wines) from Devil’s Gulch Ranch in Marin County, CA.

We recommend the 2013 Andromeda Pinot Noir, perfect for savoring by the roaring fire with your favorite appetizer, or enjoying with a main course of steak and lobster or roast pork. This aromatic pinot noir has a gorgeous ruby red color and a complexity of flavors, with a slightly deep smokiness when it first hits the palate, followed by an undertone of sweet fruit and floral notes. Wine maker Sean Thackrey has been producing the highest quality wines since 1980, recognized as one of the seminal figures in the California wine industry.

The author of “Talks with Trees”, Leslie Cabarga, has a distinctly unique talent as a plant psychic – he is able to communicate with trees, vegetables and other plant life!

“Talks with Trees”, (www.lesliecarbarga.com) first published by Iconoclassics in 1997, is an amazing record of Carbarga’s conversation with everything from lettuce and sprouted onions to hickory, Japanese maple, redwood, palm and tropical Banyan trees around the globe. What they have to say about life and living, the simplicity of simply being in the present moment, and other philosophical thoughts and observations makes for enchanting reading.

Most of us are guilty of ignoring or simply not noticing the lush beauty of the many trees that surround us as we go about our daily business. We guarantee you will never be able to look at trees and other vegetation in your daily life the same after reading this magical book.

If finding a new job is on your New Year’s resolution list, you may benefit from David Thomas Roberts’ “Unemployable” (www.http://www.davidthomasrobertsauthor.com/), a guide to seeking out great alternatives to working as someone else’s employee.

“Unemployable” draws from the author’s own experience of successes and failures being in business for himself and offers a variety of lessons that can be learned from the mistakes of others when it comes to entrepreneurship. Topis covered in this valuable guide include financial ability, sales techniques, partnerships and effective marketing. If you have been on the fence about self-employment, “Unemployable” gives you the facts and figures you need to make the right decisions about the next chapter in your career.

The winter season is a great time to encourage reading as an activity and “Journey to Appleville”, (www.applevillebooks.com) written by Veronica Appleton and illustrated by Lisa Pangborn, is a trip well worth taking.

This book tells the tale of a group of children, all different in many ways yet united by their dreams of achieving their individual goals, who push fast their fears and encourage each other on a trip to Appleville, where magical help from the Appleville Fairy rewards their courage and persistence. This is an engaging story for adults and children to read together, made all of the more enjoyable by bright , creative and colorful artwork.

Fans of old Hollywood will be mesmerized by Robert Matzen’s detailed account of the crash that took the life of one of its biggest stars of the 30s and 40s, comedian Carole Lombard, wife of the King of Hollywood, Clark Gable.

“Fireball: Carole Lombard and the Mystery of Flight 3″ (www.goodknightbooks.com) examines the events leading up to the fateful flight of TWA 3 on January 16, 1942, which slammed into a Nevada mountain instead of reaching its destination of Burbank, CA. Matzen effectively juxtaposes details about Lombard’s rise to stardom with chilling descriptions of fateful decisions that led to the crash and the devastation, both personal and physical, that followed. A number of theories are examined as to why the plane hit the side of Mt. Potosi, including pilot error and World War II sabotage. This is a riveting story about one of Hollywood’s leading ladies and how cruel the fortunes can be when it comes to abruptly stopping one star’s journey to stardom.

“Fireball: Carole Lombard and the Mystery of Flight 3” by Robert Matzen – Gotta Love It!

Most people typically associate fasting with the complete absence of food or beverage. But Cherie Calbom’s (www.juiceladycherie.com) recently published “The Juice Lady’s Guide to Fasting” provides a fascinating examination of this health practice.

Two of the fasting practices highlighted in this book are a juice fast as well as the Daniel Fast, which includes eating certain vegan preparations. Calbom shows why fasting can not only cleanse and rejuvenate the body’s physical systems but also positively impact the mind and spirit by helping eliminate toxic emotions that bring about illness and disease. She also provides creative recipes to follow while practicing a healthful fast. If one of your New Year’s resolutions was a healthier mind and body, “The Juice Lady’s Guide to Fasting” (www.strangbookgroup.com) may help set you off on a path that can change your life and your outlook on the future.

If you love hot coffee, wine or tea but don’t like the stains they leave on your teeth or the smudges the cup or glass can create on your lipstick, get acquainted with the Koffie Straw (www.koffiestraw.com).

The Koffie Straw is a neat little device made of 100% silicone that is uniquely angled to position in your coffee or tea cup so you can enjoy your beverage without it ever touching your lips or teeth. Every Koffie Straw kit contains 2 permanent, washable straws and cleaning brush, but you can also run Koffie Straws through the dishwasher for use again and again. Koffie Straw comes in two sizes as well as a variety of colors. Unlike paper or plastic straws, Koffie Straw won’t melt or disintegrate, but keeps you sipping in style for many months to come.

Although Nancy S. Hughes’ “The 4-Ingredient Diabetes Cookbook” (www.shopDiabetes.org) is directed at those who must manage their diets due to a diabetic condition, the 160 recipes contained in this volume make it a great go-to guide for anyone who wants to cook healthier, easier and simpler in this New Year!

If you don’t believe you can make fresh and attractive dishes using only 4 fresh ingredients, just check out the wide array of easy preparations that Hughes has created that will take you from a.m. through p.m. with such creative concoctions as Rustic Mexican Chicken and Rice, Feta’d Tuna With Greens, Tender Green Pepper’d Top Round, and Country Vegetable and Thyme Quiche. Special chapters also include recipe suggestions for diabetic-friendly beverages and desserts.

We made an interesting find at our local Wine & Spirits Shoppe recently after seeing a CBS News report that model/personality Christie Brinkley has gotten into the wine business.

Bellissima (www.bellissimaprosecco.com) is a collection of three different sparkling wines, all made in Italy using organic grapes. Prosecco DOC Brut is the driest and least sweet of the trio, with Sparkling Rose Wine (our favorite) a lovely blend of sweet-tart fruits and a luscious pink color, and Zero Sugar Sparkling Wine, containing zero sugars and artificial flavors. The bottle itself features stunning artwork that makes it suitable for gift-giving without wrappping, simply attach a bow or big ribbon. Bellissima is a sparkling wine choice that complements any meal, cocktail hour or dessert party!

One of the nicest and least expensive ways to pamper yourself in this New Year is to enjoy the sensual, relaxing and pleasant aromas created by Hem brand incense, offered at the Soaring Eagle New Age Shop (http://stores.ebay.com/Soaring-Eagle-New-Age-Shop).

This high quality incense is produced in India and comes in either stick or cone shape for easy burning. The Anti-Stress variety (pictured above) is among our favorites for relaxing at the end of the day, but HEM offers a wide array of fragrant choices, such as rose, lemon, frangipani, lavender, as well as special combinations to burn for good luck, good fortune and an increase in money (and yes, they do work!!). Soaring Eagle, based in Indiana, ships promptly and offers multiple item shipping discounts.